Gillard says yes amid rows

Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
will use the ALP national conference starting today to portray her government as a force for positive ideas, the future, jobs and fairness, even as she faces an internal fight over industrial relations policy and a challenge to her stance on gay marriage.

“We govern for jobs by governing for growth. And we govern for growth by saying yes," Ms Gillard will say, according to a draft of her speech.

The Prime Minister will predict that by the time of the next election Labor will have created 1 million jobs, arguing the government has created 700,000 jobs since 2007 and is on track to create over 300,000 more in the next two years.

But a row over job security is looming as the Left faction seeks changes to the party platform which would toughen workplace relations laws in the wake of the Qantas dispute.

The Left wants Labor’s platform to enshrine the ability of workers to negotiate job security under Labor’s Fair Work regime.

Another demand is for workers to be able to negotiate agreements with employers which limit the scope for offshore contracting.

Qantas rejected union demands on both these counts during a dispute that ultimately led it to ground flights and lock out workers in October.

On a related issue, the Left is seeking changes to the way enterprise migration agreements are used by resources giants to bring in workers for mammoth projects.

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The faction’s position was being finalised last night ahead of the economic policy debate which is scheduled for the ALP conference today, after Ms Gillard’s opening speech this morning.

Industrial relations appears set to be one of the Prime Minister’s themes for 2012 as she emphasises Labor’s defence of union rights against Coalition policies that favour business.

“And while we govern for jobs through growth, we govern for jobs for fairness," her speech says.

“Fairness, when we extend opportunity to all – so everyone has the chance to get ahead. Fairness too, when we ensure no Australian is left behind."

The Qantas lockout has led some within the party, from the Left and Right, to argue for reforms that would force employers to give staff more notice of lockouts.

Any changes to the Fair Work laws would force a debate on industrial relations just as Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott
faces pressure from his own supporters, including a vocal group of backbenchers, to take a harder line against the Labor regime.

Some within the government believe a debate on workplace policy would favour the government as Mr Abbott attempts to meet business demands for greater flexibility while avoiding changes that revive the Work Choices policy that contributed to the Coalition’s defeat in 2007.

With new figures showing a rise in industrial disputes, however, Labor is being watched closely by business groups that are worried about the growing power of the unions.

In a challenge to the Gillard government on trade policy, key members of the Left faction are pushing for stronger protections for local manufacturers which face competition from overseas rivals “dumping" cheaper products on the market.

Union leaders, including CFMEU national secretary Michael O’Connor and AMWU national secretary
Dave Oliver
, are concerned that the government policy does not give local companies enough power to challenge foreign suppliers under World Trade Organisation rules.

Former West Australian premier Geoff Gallop warned last night on ABC TV against a union show of force at the ALP conference.

Conference delegates are also preparing to challenge Ms Gillard’s landmark trade negotiations with US President Barack Obama in recent weeks, under which both nations will press ahead with an agenda known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The Left wants the conference to agree that any outcome on free trade under the TPP must consider social and employment impacts.

Faction leaders held a furious round of meetings late yesterday to finalise their positions on some of the most heated issues to be debated at the conference, which ends on Sunday afternoon.

In a serious challenge to Ms Gillard’s authority, the Left gained support from some members of the Right for an amendment to the ALP policy platform to allow gay marriage, triggering a rearguard action late yesterday to head off the changes.

Ms Gillard hopes to leave the party’s platform largely unchanged but to allow a conscience vote on gay marriage.

Given the personal beliefs of MPs across the spectrum, a conscience vote to allow gay marriage would be defeated.